Sleeping is one of the most important but underrated tasks done in a day. Whether we have a hectic day or a restful day, we all need a certain amount of sleep at night. A particular part of our brain controls our sleep and night cycle, and it helps us maintain the healthy functioning of our brain. Every morning we wake up with new freshness and new energy.
However, many people tend to ignore the importance of sleep. Sleeping is a crucial part of our life, and a minimum of 8-9 hours of sleep must be maintained. You can discover a lot more about sleep, and it is much more than just a refreshing rest. So, let us get to know some interesting facts about sleep.
Interesting facts about sleep
Full moon leads to less sleep
There was no specific research done on sleeping past 3-4 decades. However, the phenomenon of sleeping is now being studied a lot. In many types of research, it has been found that a full moon leads to less sleep. At the full moon, it is observed that people tend to fall asleep late and sleep a little less than on the other days.
Sleeping in 5 minutes shows sleep deprivation
Sleeping in a lesser period is often seen as a good thing. However, it may also show sleep deprivation. If anyone sleeps in 5 minutes or less than 5 minutes, it shows that they are sleep-deprived. The standard time to fall asleep is 15-20 minutes. This indicates that you are getting healthy sleep and giving good rest to your body.
Peaks at 2 am and 2 pm
You must have felt dizzy after having lunch around 2 pm. The afternoon time, especially at 2 pm, is the peak of sleepiness, and therefore, we feel lazy and sleepy at that time. Also, another time when sleepiness peaks is 2 am, and it is tough to wake after 2 am. Therefore, most people prefer to sleep early instead of late-night studying or meeting.
Sea otters hold hands while sleeping
Sleeping is limited to humans, and so are the interesting facts about sleep. So, here is an interesting fact that you will find cute. The sea otters hold hands while sleeping, and they have hands so that they don’t slip away or drift away from each other. What can be a voter other than that?
Insomnia is not just the lack of sleep
Insomnia has become a relatively common disorder these days. Many teenagers and adults have insomnia. People often assume that insomnia is just a lack of sleep. However, it is much more than that. It describes drowsiness, irritability, and lack of concentration the whole day.
Being unable to get up in the morning can be a disorder!
Many of us get lazy while getting up in the morning, and we get lazy, especially when the winter is around the corner. While for many of us, it’s just laziness for a few people, it is also a disorder known as dystonia. It is often an initial sign of depression or nutritional deficiency.
Lack of sleep can eat up your brain
Today’s world is the world of competition. To compete in this fast-paced world, we often tend to make ourselves sleep-deprived. While sacrificing sleep for 2-3 days is manageable, sleep deprivation for a long time is not suitable for health. It affects both physical and mental health. Studies have shown that people having sleep deprivation for months suffer memory loss. It is mainly because the brain gets eaten away or the nerves die when sleep deprived.
At least 7 hours’ sleep is crucial
You must have heard that adults must sleep at least 7-8 hours per day, maintaining both physical and mental health. It is a must for adults to maintain at least 7 hours of sleep at night, or it may cause diseases like asthma diabetes at an early age.
Humans spend one-third of their life sleeping
Sleeping occupies a significant amount of time in our daily life. According to some research, it is concluded that humans spend about one-third of their entire life sleeping. However, it may depend on the lifestyle and age of different people, but according to studies and research, it is an estimation.
Longest sleepless period is 11 days
We can’t even go one day without sleep. Sleep is an essential part of our daily life. However, Randy set a world record by being awake for 11 days without any sleep. It is not recommended as it caused severe health disorders in Randy. Also, many other people died while trying to set the world record.
Deaf people use sign language in sleep
It is common for people to talk in their dreams sometimes, and it is also the same in the case of deaf people. As they are habitual of using sign languages to speak, it is often observed that deaf people use sign languages in their sleep.
Parasomnia – Unnatural movements
Insomnia and parasomnia may seem similar words, but they are very different. Parasomnia mainly refers to the unnatural movements of people during their sleep. Most of the time, it is not harmful to the person sleeping or the other people. However, people have committed severe crimes in some cases due to parasomnia.
The hypnic jerks
You might have experienced some sudden jerks or sudden movements while you are half-asleep. These sudden jerks are known as hypnic jerks. The reason for their occurrence is not known. However, most of the time, they make us fully awake. The Hypnic jerks occur more often in younger people. Also, these may be increased by the consumption of coffee.
How do blind people experience dreams?
Dreams are often a combination of visuals that we see in daily life. However, it is not possible in the case of blind people. Then how do they experience the dreams? Blind people mainly dream about emotions or other senses like smell and sound. However, if blindness occurs later in life, the person may also dream about sights.
Within 5 minutes, half of the dream is forgotten
We all experience dreams, be it good dreams or nightmares. However, when we wake up, we tend to forget about the dream or the nightmare. Research has shown that people forget about 50% of their goals after waking up, and most of it happens within 5 minutes of waking up. Very few people can remember what they dreamt last night.
Sleep deprivation reduces pain tolerance
We all have a specific threshold for pain. However, sleep deprivation can affect the pain threshold drastically. The pain tolerance of an individual can reduce due to lack of sleep. The scientists could not find out the reason but are working on it.
Link between sleeping position and personality
We all love to sleep in different situations. Some may prefer to sleep straight, some may prefer to sleep in a fetal position, and some may sleep sideways. You will be amazed to know that our sleeping position can extensively speak about our personality. Researchers have shown that people sleeping in fetal position are tough from outside but are sensitive.
Delaying sleep is done by humans only
It is being observed that out of all the mammals in the world, humans are the only ones who delay their sleep willingly. However, other mammals never do it, at least not voluntarily.
Nightmares are not just about fear
Nightmares are prevalent among people, and it is even more common with people with anxiety and stress. Nightmares are often associated with the feeling of fear. But it is the feeling of stress, anxiety, and guilt.
About 15% population are sleepwalkers
Sleepwalking is done unconsciously while sleeping and does not always refer to just walking. Studies show that about 15% of the population are sleepwalkers and tend to show activity while sleeping.
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